- $3.6 billion to be invested in upgrading and building essential new water & wastewater infrastructure across WA
- Further $2.5 million investment for groundwater replenishment trial
The WA State Government will spend $2.5 million in 2012-13 on preliminary design and investigation works to ensure the Water Corporation is in a position to implement a groundwater replenishment scheme for Perth, should the trial be successful.
Groundwater replenishment involves treating wastewater to Australian drinking water standards and then adding it to underground aquifers to supplement drinking water supplies.
The State Government wants to ensure the corporation is in a position to advance a long-term operating scheme following completion of the existing Groundwater Replenishment Trial at Beenyup in December 2012.
The first stage of a full scheme involves expanding the trial plant to produce seven billion litres of water a year. This could be fully operational by December 2015.
The State Government has allocated $108.1 milllion over the forward estimates period to fund this expansion, however a decision to move to a full-scale scheme is still entirely dependent on the outcome of the trial.
The results of a recent survey were encouraging with community acceptance for groundwater replenishment remaining steady at 74 per cent.
The State Government will spend $3.6 billion in 2012-13, and over the forward estimates period, to upgrade and build essential new infrastructure to secure Western Australia’s water supply for the long term.